Dennis R. Thompson

Dennis R. Thompson is a partner and founder of Thompson & Bishop. He graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 1985. He also is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in 1982 (inactive status).

He earned his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Akron in 1976. Since 1992, Thompson has practiced exclusively in employment litigation, and has been a tireless advocate for employee rights. He is an outstanding trial lawyer and has won, with his partner, substantial verdicts. See Representative Cases. A substantial portion of the firm’s practice involves litigating against public-sector employers.

Thompson has particular expertise in representing firefighters and the areas of disparate impact and treatment in fire settings, including promotional testing and hiring. He and his wife and partner, Christy Bishop, travel and speak regularly to minority firefighter groups, including the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters.

In 2001, Thompson was among the first group of attorneys in the State of Ohio ever to be certified as employment-law specialists by the Ohio State Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of International Trade. He also is counsel pro hac vice (permitted to practice in particular cases) in several cases around the country.

Thompson is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and serves on the Executive Board of the Ohio Employment Lawyers Association. In 1996 he founded the Akron Employment Lawyers Association, of which he serves as Chair. He also has membership in the Akron Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association.

Thompson has been interviewed and quoted numerous occasions on employment law issues, including National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, the Bureau of National Affairs, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal, the Florida Times Union, the Houston Chronicle, and several other radio and news shows.

Thompson Attorney Profile Breakdown

Focus Areas - Employment & Labor; Class and Complex Litigation:

• Employment Litigation (Behalf of Plaintiffs) - 1992 through present
• Disparate Impact in Testing (Rae, Age) – Safety Forces
• Disparate Treatment, including Discrimination, Retaliation, Harassment
• Public-Sector Litigation - Public Employees
• Administrative Representation - Employee
• Contract Negotiation/Review (Severance, Covenants not to Compete, Employment)
• Small Business HR Services/ Discrimination/Harassment Compliance

Education, Legal Experience:

• Partner, Thompson & Bishop
• OSBA-Certified Labor & Employment Law Specialist
• Juris Doctorate, University of Akron School of Law - 1985
• B.S. Accounting, University of Akron - 1976
• Certified Public Accountant - 1982
• Licensed Customs Broker - 1989
• Former corporate counsel for international corporation - 1985-1990

Bar Admissions:

• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of International Trade
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• Northern District of Ohio
• Southern District of Ohio
• Ohio Supreme Court
• All lower Ohio trial and appeals courts

Professional Associations:

• Executive Board Member, Ohio Employment Lawyers Association
• National Employment Lawyers Association
• Co-Founder & Chair, Akron Employment Lawyers Association
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
• Akron Bar Association

Teaching/Legal Education:

• "Protecting Employee Rights under the FLSA, FMLA, & Equal Pay Act," 2003 National Employment Lawyers Association Spring Conference, San Francisco, CA.
• "Issues in Employment Law," 2004 Akron Bar Association
• "Ethical Fee Agreements," 2006 Ohio Employment Lawyers Association Annual Seminar, Columbus
• IAT Testing, 2007 OELA Seminar, Columbus
• Published ad quoted in the Bureau of National Affairs, Employee Rights Quarterly, AkroNELA News, Beacon Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Florida Times Union, Houston Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, WEWS TV, NPR.

Trial and Employment Law Publicity (2004-2006):

• National Public Radio
• Bureau of National Affairs
• Wall Street Journal
• WEWS Cleveland News Channel 5
• WAKR TV and Radio
• WKSU Radio
• Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Scene Magazine
• Akron Beacon Journal
• The Matt Patrick Show (WHLO Radio, Akron)